Hello all. I've been meditating daily (well almost, I've missed one or two days the past 5 weeks) and have really begin to appreciate it. But I've felt like I can do more in terms of practice beyond sitting meditation. As a beginner, which no affiliation to any particular school or tradition, can anyone suggest some ideas for me?

Pyrrho wrote:Hello all. I've been meditating daily (well almost, I've missed one or two days the past 5 weeks) and have really begin to appreciate it. But I've felt like I can do more in terms of practice beyond sitting meditation. As a beginner, which no affiliation to any particular school or tradition, can anyone suggest some ideas for me?

Thank you in advance

I'll give you some suggestions but the most important thing would be finding somewhere with a qualified master for you to practice.

(these are Tibetan Buddhist resources, particularly of the Nyingma school, but are not sectarian at all, meaning you will be able to easily integrate them with practices in any of the major tibetan schools. chose these because they are the online resources in English I am most familiar with.)

--Karma Rigpe Wangchuk

"Meditation brings wisdom. Lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back."Shakyamuni

Pyrrho wrote:... and have really begin to appreciate it. But I've felt like I can do more in terms of practice beyond sitting meditation. As a beginner, which no affiliation to any particular school or tradition, can anyone suggest some ideas for me?

practice contentment with what is. Do not discard beginner's mind through affiliation or wanting more.

Very good advice, Matt J. I've been making some effort to work more ethical concerns in my everyday activities. Even cutting back on my meat consumption (yes, maybe hell has indeed frozen over, for how likely that would've seemed a couple of months ago )

etinin wrote:I'll give you some suggestions but the most important thing would be finding somewhere with a qualified master for you to practice.

(these are Tibetan Buddhist resources, particularly of the Nyingma school, but are not sectarian at all, meaning you will be able to easily integrate them with practices in any of the major tibetan schools. chose these because they are the online resources in English I am most familiar with.)

Thank you for the links! I appreciate them. I know in Tibetan Buddhism having a guru is very important for all kinds of practices. But I live in a more conservative town, where I have few Buddhist centers or temples near me, let alone Tibetan groups. Will lack of having access to a teacher make Tibetan Buddhism unavailable for me until my situation changes?

ground wrote:practice contentment with what is. Do not discard beginner's mind through affiliation or wanting more.

That is a great point. I'm reading Trungpa Chogyam's 'Cutting through spiritual materialism' currently, and it's definitely an eye opener - and ego shatterer

My advice is the KISS principle - keep it simple. Don't try anything too complicated. The very simplest form of being aware of mind and body is actually very exacting.

Make a good place, a meditation station, not too ornate, but dedicated to that purpose. Make a regular time and learn to sit for a good while. (My aim is to maintain the pose for 45 minutes, I've been at it for a long while, and that is still challenging.)

Contact with a teacher or teaching centre is definitely beneficial but I have been mainly self-taught. I have had contact with teachers at key times, and also have a sangha group, which helps. And then just stay with it.

Sometimes spirituality is a liberation, and sometimes it's an alibi ~ David Brazier

Regarding mantras, I have been starting a simple metta (loving-kindness) practice . . . with my usual failure to focus/lack of discipline, but I am trying, and when I can settle to it I actually find it comes far more naturally to me than meditating.

Feathers wrote:Regarding mantras, I have been starting a simple metta (loving-kindness) practice . . . with my usual failure to focus/lack of discipline, but I am trying, and when I can settle to it I actually find it comes far more naturally to me than meditating.

I can't remember who linked it to me originally, so a general "thank you" to the wonderful helpful people on the internet

This sounds great. Exactly what I would have recommended, and how I started. Start with meditation, get a feel for it, and do it for a while until you enjoy it and benefit from it. You've done that.Then find one teaching that appeals to you/speaks to you, and put it into practice. Make an effort to remember it and put it into practice during your daily activities, too. Buddhism is a practice, 24/7.I don't agree with the idea that you should find a master right away or make any commitment to one particular sangha. I do agree with pretty everything jeeprs said, though; the teacher and sangha are both indispensable. Just take your time.

Very good advice, Matt J. I've been making some effort to work more ethical concerns in my everyday activities. Even cutting back on my meat consumption (yes, maybe hell has indeed frozen over, for how likely that would've seemed a couple of months ago )

etinin wrote:I'll give you some suggestions but the most important thing would be finding somewhere with a qualified master for you to practice.

(these are Tibetan Buddhist resources, particularly of the Nyingma school, but are not sectarian at all, meaning you will be able to easily integrate them with practices in any of the major tibetan schools. chose these because they are the online resources in English I am most familiar with.)

Thank you for the links! I appreciate them. I know in Tibetan Buddhism having a guru is very important for all kinds of practices. But I live in a more conservative town, where I have few Buddhist centers or temples near me, let alone Tibetan groups. Will lack of having access to a teacher make Tibetan Buddhism unavailable for me until my situation changes?

ground wrote:practice contentment with what is. Do not discard beginner's mind through affiliation or wanting more.

That is a great point. I'm reading Trungpa Chogyam's 'Cutting through spiritual materialism' currently, and it's definitely an eye opener - and ego shatterer

I thank you all for the replies so far

Don't worry too much about that. The resources I linked require no empowerment or guidance from a guru. The concise Red Tara sadhana can be easily practiced if you follow the commentary book, for example. You should try to visit a lama and get teachings/empowerments when you can but it's definitely not required.

--Karma Rigpe Wangchuk

"Meditation brings wisdom. Lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back."Shakyamuni